SILENCE TRULY IS GOLDEN
Proverbs 17:27-28 (NKJV)
27 He who has knowledge spares his words,
And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.
28 Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace;
When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.
I grew up in the era of James Bond 007 movies. I won’t get into the discussion about who has been the best Bond, but there is one thing that all of them have in common. And it’s connected to our proverbs for today.
All the Bonds were men of few words and a calm demeanor. The Bonds were witty but not chatty. None of them talked much, and they were all cool and under control. I had read some studies on the image that the producers wanted the Bond 007’s to project, and not talking a lot and staying totally cool in difficult situations were of great importance.
In reading our verses for today, we can see that 007 was merely reflecting some of the wisdom of the Proverbs. Someone with knowledge spares his words. The knowledgeable do not talk a lot. It lends itself to the concept of “if you know, you know.” And if you actually do know, you are not compelled to tell everyone. The idea that silence speaks volumes is seen in verse 29. Even someone who is foolish is considered a wise person when he holds his peace. We might say today, the person who doesn’t blurt out or interrupt. Even this person who is not all together is considered perceptive simply by keeping his mouth shut.
When I was working in outside sales, I would often present to groups of people. As a sales rep, it was my job to determine who the real leaders were at the table. Often, the person with the highest title or position was not the leader. But as a general rule, the person talking a lot was typically not the person that I needed to reach. It was the quiet ones. Admittedly, some were quiet because they were clueless. But often, the calm, quiet one was the one.
Looking at the life of Jesus, we can see that He emulated these verses. He was the sharpest one in the room but often had to be asked before He would speak. Contrast Jesus with Peter, who was constantly digging holes with his mouth. Jesus was sparing of His words, but when He did speak, His words were powerful. And Jesus, who had more divine understanding than any man, was always calm. He understood His role and His relationship with His Heavenly Father. Jesus understood that the enemy had no advantage or authority in His life, so He was not worried; He was calm. Jesus was the one sleeping in the boat in the middle of a serious storm - that’s a calm spirit.
APPLICATION
The application side of these verses is easier said than done. Because things are easier said. I am not trying to be tricky here, but if you tend to be prone to much speaking, becoming someone who spares their words will be a challenging process. But it can be done. The wiser we become, the more we realize that we don’t have to say nearly as much. We gain in understanding as to when our words will be effective and when to be silent. But according to these proverbs, whenever in doubt, go the silent route.
PRAYER
Lord, help me put a watch on my mouth. I want my words to be effective.